The present invention relates to a paver for packing layers of road surfaces.
When two-lane roads are being built, the transverse profile along straight sections of road generally constitute a horizontal roof profile. At the commencement of a bend, however, the position of the roof profile should change from the horizontal to an inclination and the roof profile itself should change to a correspondingly inclined straight line. When a paver having a consolidation plank is used for the floating packing of the corresponding layers, the consolidation plank consisting of two plank halves adjustable relative to one another transversely to the packing direction, the adjustment of the roof profile is generally carried out manually via adjusting spindles and ratchets. After the adjustment operation has been concluded, the adjusting spindles have to be locked so that they are made free of play. This measure is absolutely essential, since the roof profile may otherwise change within the range of the existing play. This may lead, particularly in the case of large working widths, to appreciable differences in layer thickness and consequently to a loss of quality.
In the case of manual roof-profile adjustments, the operator is positioned directly above the adjusting members for the adjustment of the roof profile, so that locking can be carried out from there. However, if roof-profile adjustment is carried out electromechanically or electrohydraulically by a distant operator positioned not in the vicinity of the adjusting members, but, for example, at the edge of the road, locking the adjusting members or making them free of play presents a problem.
Furthermore, it is known from the German utility model DE 296 21 976 U1, in the case of a paver consolidation plank which is divided in order to produce a roof profile, for the drive for adjusting the inclination of the roof profile to be preceded by a reduction gear having a braking device, the said reduction gear serving for positioning the roof-profile adjustment and for ensuring freedom from play. In this case, however, it is necessary, on the one hand, to have the reduction gear, and on the other hand, to equip the latter appropriately by removing the play from the toothing of the reduction gear or providing locking and, consequently, bringing about corresponding sluggish movement in order to ensure braking, as a result of which the full force introduced is not available for adjusting the inclination of the roof profile, the design outlay is high and adjustment cannot be carried out via a hydraulic cylinder.
The object of the invention is to provide a paver in which the adjusting members for roof-profile adjustment are locked, and therefore play in the adjusting members is eliminated, only after each adjusting operation has been concluded.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present pavers. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above.
Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.